Tool for removing floors, ceilings, sidings, &amp;c.



No- 758,442. I v I PATENTED APR. 26, 1904.

W. O. HARMON. TOOL FOR REMOVING FLOORS, GEILI APPLICATION FILED BB 17,,1 no MODEL. 7 v

NGS,w SIDINGS, 820.

R m N UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM O. HARMON, OF SAN MARCOS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ALEXANDER QUARLES, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

TOOL FOR REMOVING FLOORS, CEILINGS, SIDINGS, 80c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,442, dated April 26, 1904.

Application filed December 17, 1903. Serial No. 185,578. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM O. HARMON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Marcos, in the county of Hays and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools for Removing Floors, Ceilings, Sidings, &c.; and I do'de-clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices designed especially for removing flooring, sidings, &c.; and the object of the invention is to construct a device of this character whereby the flooringboards, into which nails are usually driven in the edges of the boards and at inclinations, may be easily and quickly withdrawn by applyling a pulling force in alinement with the nai s.

The invention consists, further, in various details of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the characters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved tool for removing boards, &c., showing the same as applied readyt'or use. Fig. 2 is a view showing the manner of application of the tool and illustrating the way in which a nail is withdrawn and the board withdrawn from its tongue connection with the flooring. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing the tool as applied for removing siding of a house. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing another use of the tool for straightening a stringer or joist. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail through the end of the tool.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings'by letter, A designates the shank portion or handle of my improved tool, which is provided with a claw A at one end, and its other end is forked, having two curved arms B, which are convexed at B adjacent to their pointed ends, and the lower marginal edges of said arms form a compound curve, being concaved at the portion indicated by letter D and,conveXed at D. (Shown clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings.) The convexed portions B of the arms B are so constructed for the purpose of presenting a surface upon each arm B to the under surface of the board, so

that when the tool is swung down toward the joist to which the flooring is secured, said tool being fulcrumed at D, the convexed surface B will have a tendency to exert a pulling force upon the under edge of the board of the flooring in alinement with the nails which secure the same to the joist, and at the same time will have a tendency to draw the board from its tongue connection with the flooring, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, This result is obtained, I have found from practice, by the peculiar construction of my tool, which rests, when applied to a joist in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, with the convexed portions of the arms resting against the board in the manner illustrated, and when pressure is applied to the handle there will be a moving contact between the joints, (indicated bynumerals 1 and 2,) while at the same time a lateral pulling force is imparted to the board to be loosened by the frictional contact of the arms against the under face or edge of the board, and while there may be a' slight sliding contact between said arms and board and also between the fulcrum-joint and the joist there will be the same relative positions maintained between the two contacting surfaces, which has a tendency to exert the pulling force in the direction of the length of thenail which holds the board to the joist.

In. Fig. 4 of the drawings I have shown my tool as applied for the purpose of straightening'up a joist which has become warped or twisted, in which use the inner edges of the arms engage the opposite face of the joist, and using the shank portion of the tool as a lever the joist may be readily straightened.

I am aware that it is common in the art to construct crowbars having forked ends which are adapted to engage over the upper edge of a joist and provided with straight arms which engage under one or more of the boards of a floor and having an angled portion adapted to contact with the fulcrum. I am also aware that it is common in the art to construct staple-pullers, wire-stretchers, &c., with forked ends having curved arms, and hence I make no claim for such construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device for removing flooring, siding, &c., consisting of a tool havinga forked end, the upper edges of the arms of the forked portions being convexed and their under edges being con vexed at their fulcrum-points, whereby when the arms are placed underneath a board and pressure applied to the handle, the fulcrum-point travels backward and a laterally-pulling force may be imparted to the board being loosened, as set forth.

2. A device for loosening boards of flooring, siding, &c., comprising a tool having a forked end, the arms of which are angular and flat upon their upper surfaces adjacent to the angled portions, the upper edges of said arms being convexed adjacent to their free ends and convexed at their fulcrum-points, whereby when said arms are placed underneath a board, and pressure applied to the handle, the fulcrum-point travels backward and a laterallypulling force may be imparted to the board being loosened, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM O. HARMON.

Witnesses:

A. L. HOUGH, FRANKLIN H. HOUGH. 

